Lifting carriage on a carrier

ABSTRACT

A lifting carriage is mounted upon a carrier which includes a lifting attachment for raising and lowering the lifting carriage upon guides. The lifting carriage consists of a primary lifting carriage to which two frames are attached. Roller tracks are provided between the frames. The frames carry load lifting or gripping means. The first frame is pivotally connected to the primary lifting carriage in the central plane of the carrier by a ball joint or the like. Turning cylinders are located on both sides of this central plane and act between the primary lifting carriage and the first frame. At least one tilting cylinder also acts between the primary lifting carriage and the first frame. Thus the turning and tilting movements of the lifting and gripping means are carried out with reference to the primary lifting carriage.

United States Patent [191 Peltonen Feb. 12, 1974 [75] Inventor: Lahja Arvid Peltonen, Tampere,

Finland [73] Assignee: Valmet 0y, Helsinki, Finland [22] Filed: May 24, I972 [21 Appl. No.: 256,593

Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerLawrence J. Oresky Attorney, Agent, or FirmRichards & Geier; V. Alexander Scher 57 ABSTRACT A lifting carriage is mounted upon a carrier which includes a lifting attachment for raising and lowering the lifting carriage upon guides. The lifting carriage consists of a primary lifting carriage to which two frames are attached. Roller tracks are provided between the frames. The frames carry' load lifting or gripping means. The first frame is pivotally connected to the primary lifting carriage in the central plane of the carrier by a ball 'joint or the like. Turning cylinders are located on both sides of this central plane and act between the primary lifting carriage and the first frame. At least one tilting cylinder also acts between the primary lifting carriage and the first frame. Thus the turning and tilting movements of the lifting and gripping means are carried out with reference to the primary lifting carriage.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures mama-H 3.791.543

' sum 1 8F 2 FIG. 3

LIFTING CARRIAGE ON A CARRIER The present invention concerns a lifting carriage on a carrienconsisting of the primary lifting carriage of the carriers lifting attachment and of a first frame, or a first and a second frame, attached thereto, between which there is a roller track and on which frames there are load lifting and/or gripping means.

It has been common practice to provide in connection with lifting carriages of the kind described above, belonging to prior art, facilities for lateral displacement and tilting of the lifting carriage or its lateral displacement and turning. Lateral displacement in this association is understood to mean parallel displacement of the lifting carriage transversally to the direction of travel of the carrier and with reference to the lifting attachment. Tilting is understood to mean inclination of the lifting carriage about a horizontal axis coinciding with the centre-plane of the carrier, while turning means movement about a vertical axis lying inthe centre-plane of the carrier. The order of magnitude of lateral displacement range has generally been :150 mm, that of tuming il0 and that of tilting fi.

The aim of the invention is to provide a carrier wherein all the modes of movement mentioned above can be simply carried out simultaneously, that is, lateral displacement as well astuming and tilting both. In theprimary lifting carriage according to the invention all these modes of movement could be realized without increasing the number of intermediate frames.

The lifting carriage constituting the subject of the invention is most commonly used on carriers intended for the lifting and transporting of containers. The increase in size of the containers has also made it necessary to increase the size of the carriers. Large carriers are difficult to steer and control accurately, especially in cramped spaces on shipboard, while on the other hand the gripping of containers requires accurate positioning of the carrier with reference to the container. When the carrier has a lifting carriage according to the invention, in which all three modes of movement are utilized, the carrier may be positioned roughly as required and, by making use of all the freedoms of movement of the lifting carriage with reference to the carrier, the gripping of the container can be accomplished more easily than before. The harmful effects of uneven surfaces over which the carrier has to travel may also be eliminated by the aid of the present invention.

The inventionis mainly characterized in that the first frame has been pivotally attached to the primary lifting carriage in the centre-plane of the carrier by means of a ball joint or equivalent and that on either side of said centre-plane at least one turning cylinder has been placed to act between the primary liftingcarriage and the first frame, between which furthermore at least one tilting cylinder has been arranged to act, so that the turning and tilting movements of the lifting carriage with reference to the primary lifting carriage are achieved. I i

The invention is described in detail with reference to the embodiment example presented in the attached drawing.

FIG. 1 presents in elevational view an example of a carrier with its lifting means, in connection with which it is intended to apply the invention.

FIG. 2 shows the same as FIG. 1, as seen from above, and dot and dash lines indicate the limits of the turning range of the lifting fork.

FIG. 3 shows a lifting carriage according to the invention, in relation to the carrier, in elevational view.

FIG. 4 shows the same as FIG. 3, in elevational view fromthe front of the carrier, dot and dash lines indicating the range of tilting.

FIG. 5 shows the same as FIGS. 3 and 4, as seen from above, with dot and dash lines indicating therange of turning. 1

The invention is intended to be applied in the first place in connection with carriers 16 intended for lifting and transporting containers.'The carrier 16 comprises a lifting attachment 17 previously known in itself, by the aid of which the lifting carriage is raisable and lowerable in its guides 14. The lifting attachment 17 may be arranged to be tumable with reference to the verti-' cal plane, and the range of this turning is generally on the order of about 10.

The lifting carriage consists of a primary lifting car-' riage l rising and descending in its guides 14 under effect of the lifting attachment and moving, for instance, supported by rolls 9. According to the invention, to the primary lifting carriage 1 a first frame 2 has been pivotally attached in the centre-plane of the. carrier. This pivotal attachment is by means of a ball joint 8 or another equivalent joint which permits the turning and tilting of the first frame 2 with reference to the primary lifting carriagel. In addition to the ball joint 8, power cylinders connect the first frame 2 and the primary lifting carriage 1 at three points at least. Of these power cylinders two at least are turning cylinders 7, which have been arranged to act on both sides of the centreplane of the carrier. In addition to the turning cylinders 7 there is at least one tilting cylinder 6, and by the aid of these cylinders 6 and 7 the turning as well as tilting movement of the lifting carriage is accomplished, in addition to potential lateral displacement. Thanks to the ball joint 8 it has been possible to carry out the turning and tilting movements with only one frame 2.

The invention may be carried out without lateral dis placement of the lifting carriage, but if lateral displace ment is desired, a substantially horizontal roller track 10 transversal to the direction of travel of the carrier is provided on the first frame 2, on support of which track a second frame 3 can be laterally displaced, this second frame 3 carrying integrally fixed load lifting and gripping means, as an example of which in the figures lifting forks 4 have been shown. If no lateral displacement and no roller track 10 is provided, the lifting and- /or gripping means maybe attached directly to the first frame 2. For the purpose "of lateral displacement a substantially horizontal lateral displacement cylinder 5 has been mounted on the lifting carriage to act between the first and second frames 2 and 3.

The roller track 10 may be advantageously utilized when it is desired to quickly exchange the lifting and/or gripping means .for other equivalent means. In that case the lifting and/or gripping means themselves are not made exchangeable and detachable, instead of which the second frame 3 together with the lifting means is replaced, by first taking out the detachment pins 11 and 12 and pulling the second frame along the roller track 10 to one side of the lifting carriage, whereupon another second frame with different lifting and/or gripping means may be rapidly installed in connection with the first frame 2 on the roller track 10. In this manner the replacement operation can be considerably facilitated and speeded. The detachment pins 11 reside in holes in the lower beam of the second frame 3 and their ends enter a groove on the first frame 2 so that the detachment pins 11 constitute a sliding guide for the lateral displacement motion of the second frame. The deteachment pin 12 constitutes the connection between the piston rod end of the lateral displacement cylinder and the side of the second frame 3.

The lifting and/or gripping means, such as lifting forks 4, may be arranged to be displaceable with reference to each other, so that for instance the spacing of the lifting forks becomes as desired. This is accomplished with the aid of displacement cylinders 15, which are arranged to act between the lifting forks 4 and the second frame 3. These displacement means are then of such design that they follow along with the second frame 3 when the lifting and/or gripping means are exchanged.

I claim:

1. For use in a carrier having a lifting attachment, a lifting carriage comprising a primary lifting carriage, two frames, roller tracks between said frames, a ball joint pivotally connecting the first frame to said primary lifting carriage in the center plane of the carrier, means connecting the second frame to sid primary lifting carriage, lifting and gripping means carried by said frames, turning cylinders located on both sides of said center plane and operatively connected with said primary lifting carriage and said first frame, and at least one tilting cylinder operatively connected with said primary lifting carriage and said first frame, whereby the turning and tilting movements of said lifting and gripping means are carried out relatively to said primary lifting carriage.

2. A lifting carriage according to claim 1, wherein said roller tracks comprises a roller track having a support and carried upon said first frame and extending substantially parallel to the horizontal plane and transversely to the direction of travel, the carriage having at least one lateral displacement cylinder connected with and moving the second frame upon said support.

3. A lifting carriage according to claim 2 comprising a detachment pin connecting said lateral displacement cylinder with the second frame and other detachment pins fixed in holes of the second frame, the ends of said other detachment pins forming a sliding guide between the first frame and the second frame at lateral displacement, whereby the second frame and the lifting and gripping means are removable and exchangeable as a single entity.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3,791,543 Dated February 12, 1974 Lahja Arvid Peltonen Patent No.

Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet insert [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Finland 14335/71 Ma 25, '1971 Signed and sealed this 24th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) Attest':

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. For use in a carrier having a lifting attachment, a lifting carriage comprising a primary lifting carriage, two frames, roller tracks between said frames, a ball joint pivotally connecting the first frame to said primary lifting carriage in the center plane of the carrier, means connecting the second frame to sid primary lifting carriage, lifting and gripping means carried by said frames, turning cylinders located on both sides of said center plane and operatively connected with said primary lifting carriage and said first frame, and at least one tilting cylinder operatively connected with said primary lifting carriage and said first frame, whereby the turning and tilting movements of said lifting and gripping means are carried out relatively to said primary lifting carriage.
 2. A lifting carriage according to claim 1, wherein said roller tracks comprises a roller track having a support and carried upon said first frame and extending substantially parallel to the horizontal plane and transversely to the direction of travel, the carriage having at least one lateral displacement cylinder connected with and moving the second frame upon said support.
 3. A lifting carriage according to claim 2 comprising a detachment pin connecting said lateral displacement cylinder with the second frame and other detachment pins fixed in holes of the second frame, the ends of said other detachment pins forming a sliding guide between the first frame and the second frame at lateral displacement, whereby the second frame and the lifting and gripping means are removable and exchangeable as a single entity. 